It is always great to see a familiar face… especially when that face is one of our clients who just happens to be in our hometown for a visit!

Coming all the way from her home in Minnesota, Jean Rindfuss, the mastermind behind Chicago Metallic’s Meatball Baker, decided to stop in to visit with one of her contacts at the company where her idea for healthier meatballs was made into a QVC-selling success story…. enter Davison!

Jean and her husband, Don, who was major motivation for the creation of her innovative kitchen product, contacted Davison Vice President of Business Development and Licensing while they were passing through western Pennsylvania.

“[Jean] and her husband [were] traveling to Florida and [were] making a couple stops along the way. They contacted me… and mentioned they were going to pass through Pittsburgh on their way to Virginia Beach… [so, we] went out for dinner and a drink,” said the VP.

They met up at yinzer-favorite Fat Head’s Saloon in Pittsburgh’s South Side. And, this isn’t the first time that the Rindfuss family has visited Davison after utilizing our Better Way to Invent.

Read more about Jean and where her Davison-designed Meatball Baker has led her to.

Of the hydrating chew toy, the magazine said, “If you’re hitting the park with Fido, be sure to pack the proper warm-weather essentials. Simply soak this rubber bone in water and toss it to your four-legged friend, so he’ll stay well–hydrated all day long.”

Licensed and sold by Hugs Pet Products, the Hydro Bone was born in the mind of our client, Diane, who first got the idea for the refreshing toy when she was looking for a way to keep her Japanese Chin puppy hydrated on long car trips.

Diane’s Hydro Bone certainly solved that problem and more! On Real Simple’s list, the Hydro Bone is among other problem-solving products like a corn de-silker, dissolvable jar labels and a machine that chops up candy or cookie ice cream toppings. View Real Simple’s entire list here.

Congrats to Diane, our Creationeers, Hugs Pet Products and everyone else who had a hand in bringing this innovative bone to market!

A typical project does not get a royalty agreement, sell in stores or generate a profit.

Spilsbury calls her gift list, which features several innovative cooking items, the “best of the web for that special mom” and says that she “personally hand-picked each of [the] fabulous items as something [she] would love to receive.”

Tonight, again, we beg the question, do you… “Dare to Invent?” when we feature the fifth in our 13-episode “Dare to Invent” series on YouTube and at Davison.com. This week’s webisode is live now and features John Iavarone, inventor of the BikeBoard.

In tonight’s episode, the California native faces an “X-treme” problem: Trying to ride a conventional scooter, enjoying the ride, then being jolted off by uneven pavement or stray twigs. Worse yet, John has to watch in horror as his kids do the same thing!

He wants a safer, sturdier scooter that is more unique and maneuverable; so, he takes matters into his own hands and brings his idea for a “west-coast” scooter, which combines surfboarding, skateboarding and biking… to Davison!

Nathan leads the creative team and, with a little help from fellow creationeer (and, often, test-dummy), Clay, they overcome all obstacles and the BikeBoard proves to be a rolling success!

John’s invention also reaches another exciting milestone when an international giant features the BikeBoard on some of their “cheesiest” packaging!

“This is an entrepreneur’s dream, to have a company like this to work with,” says John. “This has been a great relationship.”

Tune in NOW to watch John “Dare to Invent” and see all the twists and turns the BikeBoard takes as it goes from idea to reality!

Here is a sneak peek of some photos from this week’s “Dare to Invent” webisode:

A typical project does not get a royalty agreement, sell in stores or generate a profit.

Recenty, Mr. Davison and our production team made a “royal” visit in St. Louis! While the pictures are breathtaking, the purpose of the trip to the Midwest was to surprise our client, Lennell, with the very first royalty check from her invention, the TheraPED.

Lennell’s TheraPED is an innovative spa-therapy product that she came up with to provide comfort from the “hot feet” she experienced as a result from multiple sclerosis. Now, the TheraPED has been licensed by Health Enterprises and is marketed to people everywhere, who would like to provide hot or cold therapy to sore feet and toes.

So far, the product has been a big hit among yoga and zumba bloggers and was even given out in gift bags at the 45th Annual Country Music Association (CMA) Awards!

So, the Davison team hit the road to surprise Lennell with all of the TheraPED’s success. After talking with members of the production team, it seems that pulling off the surprise was quite the task!

According to Mike, a member of the production team, Lennell almost arrived to the surprise party before any of the guests!

“Jasmin, Lennell’s daughter, was driving her mother and aunt to the party. They were scheduled for an arrival at 6:00 p.m. sharp for the surprise party… the guests were supposed to arrive by 5:30 p.m. Jasmin told me that their house was 10 minutes away from the building we were having the party in… a little after 5:00 p.m., I got a message from Jasmin… she said “We’re leaving now. See you soon.” I was worried that they would be arriving at 5:15 p.m., even before the guests!” said Mike.

Mike said he went to the lobby to wait for the guest of honor and tried to think of a way to logically delay her arrival at the party, but 5:30 p.m. came and went. He met several of the other party guests and directed them into the party… but, there was still no Lennell, until right at 6:00 p.m.

“Lennell was totally surprised. I asked Jasmin how she delayed their arrival. She said that she pretended that she was lost and drove around the city until it was time. Apparently, Lennell thought that her daughter had lost her mind, getting lost in the city that she knew so well,” said Mike. “I should have known to trust Jasmin.”

According to Adam, another member of our production team, overall, the trip was a huge success!

“The St. Louis trip was great. The city was beautiful and the Arch was amazing. Lennell and her family were very welcoming and a lot of fun. I think we all felt like we were part of the family, especially during the surprise party. It was a great moment that we can’t wait to share with everyone,” said Adam.

And, share they will! Lennell, the TheraPED and more highlights from the St. Louis trip are scheduled to air in a future Dare to Invent webisode!

According to another member of the production team, Jimm, the quick trip proved for some awesome footage of our client Lennell, including the royalty check presentation and a little bit of the city, too.

“Our primary focus was to film an interview with Lennell and celebrate the success of her TheraPED… by presenting her with her first royalty check. Lennell and her family welcomed us into their home and city; we had a great time… with her entire family. We were able to get some video footage at Busch Stadium and the Arch. The restaurant where we presented Lennell with her first royalty check probably has the best view of the Arch in the city,” said Jimm.

Lane also had an amazing time on the shoot in St. Louis, “We all had a really great time working together. It was a super rad experience. Lennel was a pleasure to meet and hang out with. The same goes for the family. They were all just so inviting!”

As if picturing all of that is not enough of a tease, we’ll have to wait for the Dare to Invent webisode to see the rest. However, Mr. Davison offered us a great overview of what’s to come!

“Everyone did a great job. To think that this whole project started as an idea years ago and it has brought together such wonderful people all along the way to its eventual, glorious surprise evening that was just… well, what it is really all about, isn’t it… people helping people to make the world a little better for our friends and neighbors. Congrats to everyone at Davison, the Health Enterprises team, Lennell’s family, Lennell and all those who will benefit from this great new invention,” said Mr. Davison.

Lennell’s Dare to Invent debut is scheduled for late June. Stay tuned!

A typical project does not get a royalty agreement, sell in stores or generate a profit.

Tell one, tell all… today marks the start of something very new and very exciting here at Davison! Tonight, we begin our Dare to Invent webisode series!!

The innovative, new 12 episode series will showcase Davison clients and their inventions… from product inception to licensing and beyond!

The very first Dare to Invent episode features Colorado inventor, Joy, and her Party on the Go! Mr. Davison and several other members of our creative team are also featured in the interactive video clip, which tells the story of how the Party on the Go came to be.

According to Mr. Davison, the first episode is especially moving, because it allows viewers to watch Joy, a hopeful inventor, recognize her dream.

“Everyone got to see the end of the dream, the fulfillment of the dream – receiving her first big check,” said Mr. Davison.

The episode is live right now and you can tune in to watch on YouTube or through a link on Davison.com!

After the Dare to Invent series debut, a new episode is to be released every other week!

For a behind-the-scenes sneak peak, we’ve showcased some photos from the video shoot; but, be sure to tune in to watch the entire Dare to Invent episode now!

A typical client project is not licensed, sold in stores or profitable.

Recently, we announced that our client, Jean’s, Meatball Baker, which offers a healthy alternative to greasy meatballs, was featured in the most recent Avon catalog and at shopavon.com.

It turns out, that great news was just the first bit of excitement the Meatball Baker has been cooking up lately! Nearly as soon as we heard that our “Meatball Queen” Became an “Avon Lady,” the Meatball Baker was back at it!

This time, it was Good Morning America’s (GMA) ”Secret Steals and Deals” website that featured the Meatball Baker – and for 60% off at that! For 48 hours, interested cooks everywhere could purchase the Meatball Baker for $8.80!

GMA also published an accompanying article called “Mom Inventions: Exclusive Deals and Steals, Just for ‘GMA’ Viewers,” which commended our client, Jean, on her invention.

“Mom/grandmother inventor “Jean the Meatball Queen” partnered with Davison, a new-products development company, to develop this rack that holds small, medium and extra-large meatballs letting all the fat drain into the bottom of baker,” the article stated.

We couldn’t wait to be the first to tell Jean the great news either!

“To be truthful, I am not much of a TV watcher, so I really never heard of it until you just told me about it. I do like the publicity though,” said Jean. Jean expressed how happy she was about all the exposure her Meatball Baker has received and said she, sometimes, is still in disbelief!

“At times, it is still hard to believe that my idea has truly came to life. I am seeing my idea used in other ways too, meaning I have seen my pan duplicated with just a change in the handle at a Farm & Fleet store in Eau Claire, Wi. I have also seen the meatloaf pan where the grease drains through a grid for a healthier meal. So, I look at it as my idea must have been a good one, if it is being used in all sorts of ways,” said Jean.

As for the possibility of her invention being in the news even more?

“The press can talk about my pan all they want,” said Jean.

Speaking of great press for Davison-designed products, we also found the Silicone Dessert Bar Pan on a Bed Bath & Beyond advertisement on the NBC Today Show website!

What will be the next Davison-designed product we find out there? We can’t wait to see!

A typical project does not get a royalty agreement, sell in stores or generate a profit.

We hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and we are very pleased to report that our television debut was a stunning success!

Mr. Davison would like to send a sincere thank you to everyone who joined him to celebrate the premiere of the History Channel’s “Inventionland” reality show at Hoffstot’s in Pittsburgh on Christmas Eve. Those who joined in the premiere party enjoyed festive drinks and one awesome show!

As you may have imagined, news of the show premiere has made it near and far!

The Sacramento Bee announced the premiere, so west coast viewers could tune in! Breitbart.com, an online publication that offers real-time access to top news and analysis sources, also announced the “Inventionland” premiere!

We also saw online posts about “Inventionland” on Hartford, Connecticut’s Eyewitness 3 News, NorthcentralPA.com, Its Reality TV and at Snazzy Itemz!

Of course, we made the social media circuit, too! Check out one of our Twitter follower’s comments below:

“Creative minds will want to watch the History Channel’s new reality show: inventionland.com/about.html.”

Finally, if you watched the show, you know that the company, Step 2, licensed a product idea from our client, Milton, for a cooler that keeps your beach umbrella securely anchored in the sand while you’re enjoying a day at the beach! Well, check out their website, which showcases the “Shade Cooler, as seen on the History Channel’s TV Show ‘Inventionland.’” AWESOME!

Now, we have high hopes that the History Channel will be showing the premiere again soon! Thank you so much to everyone who helped to make the show such a success!

For our client, Kay, and her two Shelties, Autumn Angel and Rough Spot, taking a December trot in the snow, with her neighbor, Janice, and her golden retriever, was nothing close to walking in a winter wonderland. Instead, their faithful friends would wind up with either cold, wet snowy paws or even salt-soaked paws, from treated roads and sidewalks.

“I needed something that would stay on and protect their paws… [Something to] keep their paws from getting dry and cracked,” Kay said.

For Kay, the logical solution was boots for her pups. After all, they worked for her. So, she searched stores high and low to find the perfect pair, but there was a problem.

“Nothing really stayed on. Their booties would fall off in snow banks,” said Kay.

Kay, Autumn Angel and Rough Spot needed a better solution.

“I looked all over and didn’t see hardly anything out there. Everything I did try, never stayed on,” said Kay.

Although she knew what the problem was, because the “Jill-of-all-trades” typically was busy working, she didn’t have time to pursue a solution right away.

According to Kay, she worked for about ten years in banking, but has also held positions in retail, housekeeping and on the line at General Motors!

“I’ve even done a little pet-sitting. I don’t feel like it’s just a job,” she said.

Perhaps the labor of love inspired her. Around 2006, she thought of a more-improved boot, one that wouldn’t just slip off. While she kept the idea close to her, she also told her friend, Janice, and some of her family.

“[Janice] was so excited about it! She agreed there should be something… [and], my grandchildren thought it was cool,” said Kay.

Her son, Kurt, must have thought it was a pretty cool idea, too. He began searching online and that’s when they found Davison. Without seeking any other invention companies, Kay decided to pursue her idea.

“I was hopeful about it. I was looking forward to how it would turn out,” she said.

She was very happy with the stylish, finished product that Davison designed, but the boots really ”kicked” off when she received an unexpected phone call.

“Like [Davison's Licensing Department] motto, ‘We try longer,’ they did! I was quite surprised they were calling. It looked like the ball was rolling on my idea,” Kay said.

Those boots were made for walking and that’s just what they did! Hugs Pet Products licensed and now sells Kay’s idea as Pugz, faux leather and faux wool shoes that provide pets with comfort and keep paws dry in any weather conditions.

Kay said she was very happy with the product that resulted from pursuing her idea with Davison, although she seemed a bit reluctant to accept her new title, “inventor.”

“Yes, I guess I do! I’m pretty proud of it!” she said.

Her fearless attitude, anything but reluctant, is a tell-tale sign of that title.

Living in their Stamford, Conn., apartment, Pittsburgh natives Kathy and her husband often enjoyed taking their pup on long walks at the city park or along the picturesque streets near their home. To help keep Stamford’s streets clean and beautiful, city officials enforced mandatory pet waste pick-up.

“They offered a small bag with handles to use for this, but I found these to be inadequate,” said Kathy.

Kathy, a busy medical assistant and office manager, needed a more efficient and sanitary way to dispose of her pup’s waste. It didn’t take Kathy and her husband long to come up with a solution, sealable mitts that ensured easy disposal; but, they didn’t necessarily have the support of their family from the start.

“We came up with this idea about one month later… When I told my family, they didn’t really think I could make this happen,” said Kathy. “I have had ideas in the past, but never acted on them, because I didn’t have the time or finances to make it happen.”

Proving skeptical family wrong, Kathy’s husband began researching invention companies and they decided to go with a hometown option.

“After contacting Davison and getting their input, we slowly got this idea off the ground. Of course, we didn’t know what to expect,” said Kathy.

Davison designers worked diligently with Kathy and her husband to develop Potty Paws, anti-microbial, paw-shaped mitts that easily slip on, then turn inside out and zip shut for mess-free waste disposal.

Eventually, the mitts were licensed by Hugs Pet Products, an innovative company devoted to enhancing the lives of pets and their owners by delivering cutting edge pet products.

It may not have happened overnight, but Kathy said she always believed in her idea and she had some advice for other inventors who may have doubts.

“I believe there is always room for a new product for the consumer to try. You do need to be patient and be ready to put in the time and money. There is no guarantee that your idea will be a great product, so be ready for anything,” said Kathy.

Sadly, Kathy’s husband passed away during their invention process, but she said she knows he would be thrilled with the finished product.

“I have had more communication with the Davison group than my late husband and they have kept me informed every step of the journey and have shown much kindness [over] the loss I have had… Seeing my product for sale is the reality of the dream we both had. I would certainly do it again,” said Kathy.

Congratulations Kathy, the adorable product has been a “paws-itive” success!

The client has not realized a net profit on this product. A typical project does not get a royalty agreement, sell in stores or generate a profit.

Welcome to the Davison Blog. We're a company of over 250 employees dedicated to putting more products on store shelves than any company in history. Here we'll feature Product, Innovation and Inventor News along with inventing advice. Thanks for visiting!